


Private Eyes

by Aerle



Category: One Piece
Genre: Humor, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Private Investigators
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-01
Updated: 2015-08-01
Packaged: 2018-04-12 09:45:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4474631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerle/pseuds/Aerle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Private eye Shanks Red is down on his luck when the son of the city's biggest crime lord stumbles into his office and asks him to find his lover. Hardboiled detective!AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	Private Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Sharethelovemonth 2015
> 
> Thanks MyLadyDay for helping me to host the event, beta'ing and giving suggestions for the story.
> 
> Please read this story in a typical hardboiled detective's voice over voice, it's more fun that way XD (For example, I used the movie "Farewell, my lovely" (1975) for inspiration).

I couldn’t remember how I got there, tied up on that chair with a pounding headache making my head spin. It had to be because of my recent case.

* * *

It had all started a week earlier, when a man stopped by, who introduced himself as Marco Newgate. Of course, I immediately recognised the name of the biggest crime lord in the city, so refusing him entrance wasn’t an option. Besides, I was kind of desperate for cash and would take any case I could get my hands on. I had been living out of my office for a month now.

This particular case sounded more interesting than the ‘Is my husband cheating on me?’ cases I got usually. Marco said he was looking for someone, a friend of his. A few days ago, this friend, Ace, had gone out to do groceries. Nothing had seemed amiss, Marco said, but when he did not return by nightfall, Marco had become worried.

By that time, I had the feeling this Ace was more than a friend and roommate, but I kept that to myself. It wasn’t any of my business what others chose to do in their free time.

Marco had gone out looking for him, but when he arrived at the store, it had been burned to the ground. The police didn’t allow anyone near the store, nor did they reveal any information. Marco went home, when two cops came to his door, claiming they had identified Ace’s body. Yet, they wouldn’t allow Marco to see it. And when Marco called the police station the next day, they said they were still identifying people and had never heard of an Ace.

“I want you to find him,” Marco said, “whatever it takes. Money is no issue.”

Those had been the words I was waiting for. Of course the Newgate family had enough money, and helping them would get me on their good side, which might come in handy in the future.

So, I agreed. Marco told me to start by going to Ace’s brothers, who were also suspicious about Ace’s ‘death’. He gave me the address and told me to keep him up to date.

I started on the case right away. All I needed was my hat and my notebook, and I was all set.

When I arrived at the address, the door was opened by a blond man. I tipped my hat and told him Marco had sent me. He immediately let me in.

He introduced himself as Sabo, and, inside, the other brother named Luffy was putting away his breakfast. That is to say, when I came in there was breakfast and after I blinked once, it was gone.

They told me the same thing Marco had, that two officers had come to their door, claiming that they had identified Ace’s body after the store burned down. They had called the police station like Marco had, but they were told that they’d have to wait until the names of the victims appeared in the paper if they didn’t believe those officers.

However, neither Sabo nor Luffy believed Ace could die in a fire, because, apparently, he had accidentally set his fair share of things on fire, including their house when they were kids, and had come out without a scratch. Well, burn.

I asked the usual questions, including if Ace had a reason for wanting people to think he was dead. They both shouted angrily that Ace would never do something like that to them. I thought for a moment they might punch me in the face, but fortunately, they didn’t – though only because Sabo held Luffy back.

I spent most of my morning listening to anecdotes about this Ace fellow, and when I left, I felt like I knew him better. Regrettably, that didn’t bring me any closer to the reason of his disappearance.

Fortunately, I had a buddy working for the police, a detective by the name of Benn Beckman. If anyone could help me, it was him.

Truth be told, he was a little more than just a drinking buddy to me. He was the kind of man that cast one look at you and you were ready to tear your clothes off. He had that effect on me, anyway. I had never given in to the temptation, but boy, did I want to.

Benn always had time for whiskey and a cigar, so we met that evening in a shady bar where no one knew us. It was best if we weren’t recognised.

Benn was a widower in his forties, with greying hair that gave him a certain allure. He was popular with the ladies, but had chosen not to remarry because of the hours he worked. Or so he claimed. I couldn’t say I minded that he stayed single.

After exchanging pleasantries, though not of the nature I wanted, I came right to business and told Benn about the disappeared man.

Benn told me that they had only identified a store employee for now, and none of the other burned bodies matched the description I gave of Ace. He would look into it, he promised. I had no reason to doubt him, he had come through for me more often.

After we said goodbye and he didn’t invite me to his house, I decided to head back to my office. I wasn’t tired yet, and even if I was, there were too many question and too little answers. This was one job I couldn’t screw up. Not in the least because of my client’s connections and the prospect of revenge from the Newgate family.

Where was Ace? Of course, this was the main question, one I couldn’t answer yet. Nor could I say for sure if he left on his own or if he had been taken. Or if he was still alive.

For the moment, I had to assume he was, though, which made the case more urgent. Ace had some connection to the Newgate family, probably being the eldest son’s lover. Maybe someone tried to get to Marco through him?

I spent the night reading newspapers and learning what I could about Marco and the family.

Benn called the next morning at eight. I was startled by the ringing sound, apparently having fallen asleep with my head on my desk and certainly not drooling.

Benn had one particularly interesting piece of information, aside from the fact that I could listen to his deep, rugged voice for hours. Apparently, this Ace wasn’t just the lover of one of the Newgate boys, he was one of them, adopted by Edward Newgate himself. So perhaps Ace himself had been the intended target after all.

Benn had also asked around a bit to see if he could find out which officers had brought Marco and Ace’s brothers the news about Ace’s death. So far, he had had no luck, and, he told me, he doubted he would find them.

“I’m willing to bet a lot that Marco’s hunch is right, and that those people weren’t from the police,” he said. “Why else notify the victim’s next of kin and deny it later?”

The newspaper claimed that still not all of the bodies were identified, and the ones that were, weren’t Ace. This whole case was fishy with a capital F.

Benn was right, however. Those ‘officers’ were my first lead. I had to find out their identity. Marco and Sabo hadn’t been able to give me any distinctive features, though. So I decided to take a different approach.

Edward Newgate, also known as Whitebeard, was as much feared as he was respected. He was adored by ordinary citizens because he took care of things the police could or would not. The police was less pleased with him, because he tended to act as judge and executioner when it came to criminals, though he was also known to deliver outlaws at the police station, albeit not always in mint condition. However, he did not like to spill blood needlessly.

That did not mean I went there without some insurance, though. I didn’t like guns, but this situation called for one.

I had never met Mr Newgate in person, but he seemed to know of me when he welcomed me warmly. The man who had showed me the way was less cheerful and searched me for weapons. He found the gun, of course, and placed it on Mr Newgate’s desk.

“Thank you, Izo, you can go now,” Mr Newgate said to my companion.

Izo nodded, casting a final suspicious look at me, and then left.

“This gun is quite old and not well used,” Newgate said as he inspected the weapon.

I shrugged. “It was my father’s. I don’t like guns.”

“Then why bring it?”

“Protection, I guess. There’s someone I like to get back to.”

Newgate smiled. “Have a seat, Mr Red. Do you smoke?” He offered me a cigar.

I didn’t want to refuse the biggest crime lord in the city, though I personally preferred cigarettes. Besides, they reminded me of Benn.

Smoke filled the air as we spoke.

“My son told me he had hired a private detective,” Newgate said. “I can’t say I fully approve, but I am desperate to get my son back. And take revenge on the person who took him from me.”

“If you don’t mind, I'd like to ask you some questions,” I said, as I took a drag from the cigar I held. “Is it possible that someone is trying to get to you, or to Marco for that matter, through him?”

Newgate hummed. “He would be a fool if he did. Well, he is a fool anyway, taking someone under my protection.”

“And it’s not possible he,” I knew I needed to be careful here, “ran away?”

Newgate squinted at me. “He was not here against his will, even if at some point he may have thought so. No, Ace wouldn’t leave us without saying anything, least of all Marco, and his brothers. You may think that he’s nothing more than Marco’s whore or lover, but that’s not true. What those two have, is love. That Ace likes to stay in the shadows doesn’t mean he is any less influential in the underground world.”

I nodded and made a note. Everyone kept insisting that Ace wouldn’t leave on his own terms. I wasn’t ready to believe that entirely, but it was something to go on.

“Are there any suspicious developments I should know about?” I asked.

Newgate rose and turned to the large window behind him. “There has been someone meddling with my business,” he said, sadness evident in his voice. “I fear it’s been done from the inside out. One of my boys was attacked and is still in the hospital. I shared my fears with Ace and,a few days later, he was declared dead. It doesn’t sound like a coincidence to me, but I’m reluctant to share this information with Marco. Our business, it’s his family, and it will destroy him to know that someone isn’t a loyal as they claim.”

* * *

Talking to Newgate had gotten me a tiny bit more information. I had to follow the leads I had, which were only few. I decided to have a look at the burned down store to see if there were some clues left that the police might have missed. Of course, they wouldn’t just let a civilian into a crime scene, but fortunately, I could call Benn to escort me. He wouldn’t have to do it for free; I promised to buy him lunch afterwards.

Benn picked me up an hour later in his car. “What is it you hope to find?” he asked as he drove us to the store. “You don’t believe he was in there when it happened.”

“Either he was snatched from in there before the fire, or on his way to or from it,” I said. “Who owned the store?”

Benn handed me his notebook. He wasn’t even on this case, but he knew I would come to him. He knew me so well.

I flipped the book open to see some of the details. Benn had the type of handwriting some would describe as scribbles, but after years of practice, I had mastered reading it.

“Sakazuki, huh?” I said as I learned the owner’s name.

“I overheard some of my colleagues talking. They seem to suspect the fire was an inside job. Apparently, this Sakazuki bloke had some debts.”

I couldn’t help but wonder if this same man had kidnapped Ace as well. However, if it was about money, Newgate would have gotten a ransom note by now. So the owner was an unlikely suspect.

Benn parked near the store and led me to the crime scene. He identified himself to the officer standing guard.

There was not much left from the store. The bodies had of course been removed, but it was marked where they had been. It would seem that they had been trapped inside and had suffocated.

There was nothing that could give me a clue, but, in my defence, there was something more interesting to look at than burned items. Benn was leaning over what used to be the counter to look at something on the floor. You have to appreciate the little pleasures life grants you, and looking at Benn’s behind was one of those for me.

We gave up soon after finding nothing and, true to my word, I bought Benn lunch. We had nothing about the case to discuss, but I couldn’t say I minded spending some more time with him.

* * *

The longer my investigation took, the smaller the chance that I would find this Ace alive.

I still had too many questions and too few answers. I was literally no further on finding Ace than I had been the day before.

That only meant one thing; I had to start again at the beginning. Someone was bound to have seen something. I couldn’t be sure when Ace was taken, so it was possible he was taken off the street.

I drove back to the store and decided to trace the route back on foot, the same path Ace had taken a few days before, to the house of Marco Newgate. I asked passers-by if they had seen anything, even rang doorbells, but no one seemed to have seen anything, or at least was willing to talk.

I had failed again to find any clues, so I decided to drown my sorrows in the bar along my path. Failing was no option, not with the Newgate family. I’d probably end up as the next John Doe on the autopsy table if I didn’t find Ace.

The barkeep was drying glasses and only paused to pour me my whiskey. “Tough day?” he asked.

He didn’t sound particularly interested, but perhaps he had answers where I only had questions.

“I’m looking for someone,” I replied, “a man by the name of Ace.”

The bartender looked at me with yellow, hawk like eyes. “What do you need him for?”

“He is missing. I’m hired to find him.”

“A private eye, eh? The Family hired you?” He continued drying his glass.

“Marco Newgate did.”

At the mention of the name, the bar suddenly became quiet, and all eyes seemed to be aimed at me.

The bartender looked around and, as soon as his look hit someone, they went back to their own business hastily.

The barkeep leaned in a bit and took a confidential tone. “Some people get nervous when they hear the name of the Family. Marco’s got a reputation, but this bar is neutral territory. You’d do well not to mention them again.

I nodded and continued to sip from my whiskey, seemingly relaxed, but continuously watching my back. Enemies of the Newgate family were enemies of mine now.

“See those men there?” The barkeeps’ eyes flicked subtly to a table in the corner where two men were sitting. “They were interested in Ace’s story. About a week ago, they came asking around.”

From the corner of my eye, I looked at the people who the barkeep had indicated. They both looked as shady as they come, one wearing a top hat and a monocle and the other the typical meathead. I doubted they would give me straight answers, so I had to change my tactic.

The shady characters were talking in a hushed tone for a while. I drank a few more drinks for my move to work. I had perfected the act of playing drunk over the years, but my props had to be there as well. I had to be long enough in the bar to get drunk, yet without actually getting drunk.

In a loud voice, I ordered more booze, but the barkeep decided to cut me off. If he saw through my act, I never knew.

I walked over to the shady people like a sailor who has just set foot on dry land and put my arms around their shoulders. Of course, I could hold my liquor just fine.

“My friends!” I exclaimed, slurring my words. “You have to get me more booze! T’keep doesn’t want to give me anymore and the second I step foot outside, Newgate’s gonna break my kneecaps!”

The man with the monocle pushed my arm off him with a disgusted look on his face. “You better leave, before we’ll do that for him.”

“What? You’re friends of Newgate’s?” I exclaimed loudly, so that everyone in the bar could hear me.

Again, it became silent, and everyone turned to us.

I decided to add a little extra. “You’re working for the Family, aren’t you?!”

Several people had risen from their chairs and stepped threateningly in their direction. The man with the monocle looked around, trying to keep his composure, but I could see his nervousness.

“Should I take him out?” the meathead asked as he cracked his knuckles.

“Don’t.” The monocle guy placed a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s just leave. I’d like to be there when we finally break that freckled bastard.”

He cast one last deadly look at me before throwing some coins on the table and leaving with his companion.

Slowly, the peace returned to the bar, and people started chatting again, but I had no time to lose. I paid for my drinks, leaving a large tip for the information, and left with an appreciative nod to the keep.

Outside, I put my hat lower on my head and turned up the collar of my coat to hide my face as I scurried after the shady guys. The monocle man had mentioned a “freckled bastard”. That fit the description of Ace I had received. Following them would most likely lead me to my goal.

Almost invisibly, I crept from building to building in pursuit of the two men. They led me out of the city, but suddenly, they had disappeared.

This was the type of situation where I had to make a decision between two evils. I could leave, of course, but then I would be left with nothing. On the other hand, I could come out of my hiding place and look openly. Butwhat if it was a trap? What if the barkeep had been in cahoots with these two the whole time?

I was in dilemma like a dog having to choose between to bark or to bite. The longer I waited, the more chance I had that I wouldn’t find them again.

However, I had barely left my hiding place, when I felt a blunt instrument fall upon my head, and things became dark.

* * *

That explained the headache when I woke up, tied to a chair in a dusty old room, with only a broken and flickering light. It also explained the freckled face that was scowling at me from the chair next to me.

In all fairness, I was hardly the knight in shining armour Ace – because it could be only him – might have hoped for.

Yet, that didn’t explain the weird look he was giving me, like I was a creature not of this earth.

“Why are you narrating this?” he asked, partly confused, partly annoyed.

His young mind was obviously not able to fully comprehend the situation we were in. I had promised I would find him, but now that I had, what was the price I was willing to pay? There was more than money at stake here, my honour as a man and my life to name a few.

Marco had been right all along. Ace was still alive, but for how long?

“Marco really sent you?” Ace asked. Relief could be seen written all over his face.

I smiled reassuringly. “Indeed he has,” I told him. “My name is Shanks, I am a private detective.”

“That explains the narration,” he muttered.

A silence fell in the room, and I used that time to muse over my situation. It didn’t help that my head was still pounding from the blow it had received.

I felt at the ropes tied tightly around my wrists. There was no way I could untie myself, nor did Ace seem to be in that position.

“Yeah, if I could have gotten loose, you think I’d still be here?” Ace said dryly. He had a bit of a sarcastic streak, but I was used to that. He sighed and changed the subject. “How is Marco? Is he okay?”

“He seemed okay to me when I last spoke with him; worried, but okay,” I replied. I took the time to study Ace’s face. Despite the bruises covering his face, it was clear that he was a handsome man. I could see what Marco liked about him.

“Oi, I’m taken you know,” Ace huffed. “I take it Marco doesn’t know I’m here. You seem to be here accidentally, some detective you are,” he snorted, but then sighed. “If Marco knew, he’d already have taken his revenge.”

I remained silent. There was no need to explain just how Marco would take his revenge, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be the person standing in his way.

“You know, despite of what you’re thinking, Marco’s a good man,” Ace said. “He takes care of innocent civilians by taking out the bad guys. In many regards, he’s like a cop, only not restricted by the law.”

Ace’s words about Marco made me think of Benn. Benn _was_ a cop, and a good one at that. And he was a good man, though I knew that wasn’t necessarily the case with cops. But Ace had a point. More than once, Benn had become angry when he couldn’t help someone because of the law. I also knew he had sometimes bent the law a bit to do so. Marco had a freedom Benn didn’t have, but did that make him a bad person?

“I told you, he’s not,” Ace huffed. “And stop pining about this guy and ask him out!”

He seemed to know an awful lot about my private life, but I let that slide for now. Instead, I smiled warily. “If only it was that simple. Perhaps the son of a crime lord can get away with it, but a respectable man like Benn can’t. Not with a love like that,” I said. “But instead of my love life, why don’t we talk about why you’re here?”

Ace’s face grew grim. “Two weeks ago, one of my brothers, Thatch, was attacked. We found him beaten up in the warehouse, with almost all our weapons stolen. It had to be an inside job. No one on the outside would have been able to pull that off, let alone be as stupid as to try it. Thatch must have known and trusted the attacker.” He stared at the ground. “He’s still alive, but he has a concussion and doesn’t remember his attackers. Pops told me that he suspected an inside job, so I started digging a little and soon, I found out that there was only one person who could have done it, who wasn’t accounted for on the night in question. I never told anyone about it and instead went after him myself.”

“Who’s this person?” I inquired.

“He calls himself Blackbeard now.” Ace spat out the word. “A parody of Pops’ name, of course. He was known as Teach Marshall when he was working for us. He set up a similar business, using all the trade secrets he learned from us. His aim is to take Pops’ place in the city.”

Somehow, that sounded about as good an idea as having a bath with a toaster.

“I told Marco I was gonna do groceries, but instead, I went after him.” Ace stared at the wall opposite him. “The coward didn’t have enough balls to fight me alone and sent his lankies after me to do it for him. He managed to capture me, and here I am. He keeps me alive because he needs some information that only the commanders know about, so he tries to get it out of me.” He let out a humourless laugh. “Like he’ll succeed.”

His story explained the bruises he was covered in and it answered all questions I had had for the past days.

We didn’t get more time to talk, however, as the door of our little room opened, creaking as if it announced the bad news coming.

A large, fat man entered the room. He was the type you didn’t want to meet in a dark alleyway.

“Well, well, well,” he said as he looked at me. “Look who we’ve caught snooping around.”

I couldn’t help but notice the fact that he did not seem to know what a dentist was, seeing how he missed several teeth.

The man looked at Ace. “Is he doing that the entire time?”

“You get used to it,” Ace said with a sigh. “At least he’s not doing his own theme music.”

“Well, anyway,” Blackbeard continued, “you may have found Ace, but you won’t live to tell the Newgate family. It’s too soon to reveal myself, so I can’t let you walk you out of here. And I don’t need you like I unfortunately need him,” he jerked his thumb in Ace's direction, “so I’ll just have to kill you now.” He took a step in my direction.

“Now hold on a second, big guy.” I stretched out my leg, and, surprisingly enough, Blackbeard actually stopped. “There was nothing in my assignment that said I’d die.”

“You took a job with the Newgate family, of course someone would die,” Blackbeard huffed. “And it ain’t gonna be me.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to be you when Marco Newgate finds out what you’ve been up to. But then again, I’m not a messenger boy.” I smirked. “I’m a delivery boy.”

“Yeah? And what you’re gonna do? Narrate me to death?” Blackbeard scoffed.

I just flashed him another grin, ripped the ropes around my wrists apart and hit Blackbeard over the head with the chair I had been sitting on. He went out like a light in a whorehouse.

Ace blinked at me with a confused look on his face.

I shrugged. “I might narrate my own story, but I’m not stupid.” I showed him the knife I was holding. It was only a ridiculously small pocketknife, but that was the reason they didn’t find it when they had found the other four, my gun and my lighter.

Also, because it had been hidden in a certain “unmentionable” place.

Blackbeard was out cold, so I used the knife to untie Ace as well. He rubbed his wrists as he looked at the unconscious body of Teach Marshall with contempt. He didn’t seem like the type of guy who would attack a defenceless man, but still I kept an eye on him.

Ace seemed to contemplate kicking Blackbeard, but eventually, he sighed. “Just take me home.”

Ace proved to be a helpful sidekick, as he packed quite a punch, which came in handy when we ran into Blackbeard’s minions.

We soon managed to break out of the warehouse we had been in, a little outside the city as I had expected. Unfortunately, rain was pouring down.

At the nearest telephone pole, I called for a taxi to take us to Marco’s house, though we were already drenched by that time.

The door immediately flung open as if Marco had been waiting for us, and perhaps he had. He wrapped his arms around Ace, uncaring about how wet he was. Ace enthusiastically hugged him back, before his body went entirely limp.

“Is he alright?” I asked worriedly.

“Yeah, that happens a lot. He’s just asleep, though,” Marco explained. He seemed to be used to it indeed, as he held Ace up like he weighed nothing. Still, I couldn’t help but be grateful that he hadn’t had a sleep attack before we arrived here. Perhaps it was the adrenaline.

“Your check will arrive shortly,” Marco promised as he hoisted Ace inside the house. “Thank you for finding him. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” He gestured to the deadweight hanging from him, and I nodded. He had better things to do, and so did I.

Usually, I celebrated a job well done with a well-earned glass of whiskey in a local bar, but with my clothes dirty and dishevelled like this, I wasn’t exactly presentable. The idea to go back to my office was somehow depressing, and besides, I hadn’t exactly taken the time to do laundry.

At times like this, there was only one place I could go.

Benn opened the door, took one look at my appearance and let me inside. I lost my hat at Blackbeard’s, which I was most upset about. Benn led me upstairs wordlessly and, once in the bedroom, started taking out clothes from the dresser.

I had never been in Benn’s bedroom before. It still contained the double bed he had shared with his wife years ago. There was a picture of her as well, looking with a smile, but her eyes were judging me and my thoughts. I had known her before she became ill and died. She had been a wonderful woman, the wife Benn had deserved, even if they didn’t have children together.

“I take it you found the person you were looking for?” Benn finally asked, startling me from my thoughts.

“Sometimes, being a drunk pays off,” I answered with a smirk.

He smiled back, but then his brow formed into a worried frown. He stretched out his hand and gently caressed the bump on my head.

I let him for a moment, before laughing it off. “I was hit on the head. But it’s a good thing, because that’s how I found Ace. He’s home now, with the man he loves.” Perhaps I put more emphasis on the latter part of the sentence to convey a message to Benn. If he understood it, however, he didn’t show it.

“Take off your clothes before you catch a cold,” he said.

I did as he asked, when I suddenly noticed he wasn’t looking away as I removed my shirt. His eyes were glued to my body as a fly to flypaper. I would be lying if I said it didn’t intrigue me, and I slowed down my movements.

Ace’s words echoed in my mind, and I wondered if I had been wrong in my assumptions about Benn. Perhaps all those times his touch had lingered, whether it was during dinner when we both reached for the salt, or when I was too drunk to stand up by myself, perhaps it hadn’t been an accident after all.

It was about time I took a risk that may change my life, for better or for worse. I stepped out of my trousers, merely clad in my underwear, and took a step forward.

Benn looked on, an intrigued look in his eyes. He didn’t move, though, waiting for me to act.

I placed my hands on his hips, taking the fabric of his t-shirt. I hadn’t even tried lifting it yet, before he raised his arms above his head to help me take it off already.

Casting the useless shirt to the side, I let my hands caress Benn’s chest. He had the type of upper body men wished they had and women wished to touch, covered in scars from a past I knew too little about. But those stories would have to wait.

Benn finally moved, leaning in and pressing his lips to mine in the lightest of touches. It was all I wanted and not nearly enough at the same time, so I pulled him close again.

Somehow, we ended up on the bed, Benn on top of me. Benn pulled back a little and smiled at me.

“You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re trying to seduce me,” he said as he brushed away my hair.

“Something I should have done ages ago,” I replied and started kissing him again.

We moved around on the bed, and I ended up on top of him, when I suddenly pulled back.

He must have noticed the doubtful look on my face, as he asked, “What’s wrong?”

I wasn’t sure how to put my feelings into words, as this was all I ever wanted, yet there was something gnawing at me. I looked over my shoulder, in the direction of the dresser with the picture.

He understood what I meant and sighed. “I’ve been alone for a long time, and wanting you for a considerable part of that.”

That was more than enough explanation for me and reason to continue without feeling guilty. The rest of our clothes were discarded soon enough.

“Are you going to narrate what we’re about to do?” Benn asked. He was used to my quirks and amused by them, but apparently, there was a line.

“I’d have to censor it, in case there are young readers,” I replied.

Making love to Benn was like drinking your favourite liquor. You would enjoy and savour every sip of it, yet it was finished far too soon. Fortunately, like my liquor, there was a simple solution; just have another glass.

* * *

The next morning, Benn woke me with a kiss on my forehead. “I’m about to make breakfast,” he said. “How do you like your eggs?”

I thought for a second and then decided. “Hardboiled, please.”

 


End file.
